I have been studying jewellery making at our local adult education centre for three years, but in all that time, my lecturer refused to show me how to do enamelling and since finishing I have been unable to find a local instructer who does classes.

 I have now decided that I want to try and teach myself and I know there are lots of good books out there, but has anyone found a really good beginners book?  Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

 I am based in the UK and I know we don't have as many wonderful craft resources as in the US, but I thought I'd see what the forum though.

Caroline

I bought a book by Ruth Ball and she is in the UK so you are in luck. She was highly recommended to me and I thoroughly enjoyed her book and I think that if I had the supplies at hand I could do it just from her instructions in the book alone. Here is another good source of informatinon if you unenderstand German www.emailkunst.de  Good luck in your enameling endeavors.

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Hallo Caroline,

I enamel longer than 50 years and I have an array of enamel books from all over the world. Next some older “out of print” books, my favourite is Linda Darty’s book “The Art of Enamelling”, Lark books, ISBN: 1-57990-507-2.

It is modern, plain language and with really good illustrations. I think you can buy it by Amazon.

Edmund

www.emailkunst.de 

Hi Edmund, thanks for the info about Linda Darty's book too.  Another one for my wish list!  Now if only I can find a decent supplier of tools to the UK...

Talisman, Listen carefully to Edmund. If he tells you  how to do something then do it, he is an expert at so many things enamel and jewelery related he makes us all look like infants. He is kind and generous with his knowledge, a good man to know.

 Hi Caroline

I wish I had had the Linda Darty book when I first started, its brilliant, definately a first choice. Enamelling on Precious Metals by Jeanne Werge-Hartley is also a good one. Old second hand books are good too as the basics are the same, I have built up quite a collection and they always have something interesting in them. I am based in the UK and do a beginners enamelling workshop.

Paula

Thanks Bentiron, I have paid attention to Edmund, and have just ordered the book he mentioned.  I do value his advice.

 Paula, thanks for your points too.  Will make contact with you if that is OK and check out that book you mentioned.

I really do appreciate everyone's input.

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Hi Talisman,

I think you knew the British Society of Enamellers and the Guild of Enamellers? Both UK. Here are 2 supplier links from their homepages. There are also many other information on their HP’s

http://www.enamellers.org/gen_int_links.html

http://www.guildofenamellers.org/index.php?option=com_weblinks&view=category&id=3%3Alink-suppliers&Itemid=6

Thank you Edmund, those links are really helpful - I appreciate your help.

Caroline

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Hello Bentiron,

thank you very much for your confidence. Because of age-related health problems, I can work only very seldom in my workshop. So I try to relay my more than 50 years leisure experience in jewellery and enamel making to beginners. I think that is an expedient activity.

Sorry if my English is sometimes a bit awkward. I can understand English very well, but I knew, my grammar is very bad. So, if any of my texts are not coherent, please ask me and I will try to write it with other words.

Sometimes I try to use the automatically translation program “Babelfish”. But I think this automatically translations are much more terrible than my English.

Edmund

www.emailkunst.de 

Edmund, Your welcome. I wish that it was possible to have the AJ folks do an alternative gallery of just your enamel work so we could see more of your work. I really enjoy your small offerings at the end of your posts. Thanks again for all of your information, Jerry